Mars Express: A Fresh, Stylish Sci-Fi Noir

Mars Express offers a beautifully animated vision of the future that feels at once alien and familiar. This French animated sci-fi noir follows detectives Aline Ruby and her android partner Carlos Rivera as they dive into a tangled web of corruption, brain farms, and rogue AI on Mars.

The world-building is superb. Mars feels like a real, lived-in place, with robots integrated into society not as a novelty, but as a natural evolution. The mystery at the film’s core — involving a missing girl and universe-altering secrets — hooks you early, and watching Aline and Carlos navigate this dangerous world is engrossing for much of the film.

The animation style blends anime influences with a distinctly European flavor, and it looks fantastic. Character designs are sharp and memorable, and action scenes are kinetic without being overwhelming.

Unfortunately, the third act derails the film’s momentum. The resolution feels rushed and leans heavily on clichés, undercutting the complex world and characters the first two acts had built so carefully. While Mars Express doesn't quite reach the heights of classics like Ghost in the Shell, it still offers a stylish and compelling take on AI-driven futures and the moral gray zones therein.